


Watchful Eyes

by kimurasato



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Blood, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, vampire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27398377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimurasato/pseuds/kimurasato
Summary: It was a familiar sensation, those eyes watching him. He thought he could forget about that part of his life, but when he feels those eyes on him again, Daniel finds he may no longer be able to keep his deepest secret from being discovered.
Relationships: Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence
Comments: 19
Kudos: 75





	Watchful Eyes

It started as a feeling.

Daniel flicked his gaze around the gymnasium, scanning over the mass of costumed teenagers dancing to the loud music blaring through the sound system. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. He easily spotted the kids, all dancing together and having fun. Relief settled over him, momentarily relaxing the tension in his shoulders. There would be no fights tonight. With Kreese out of the way and Johnny back in control of Cobra Kai, peace was made. Any fights were friendly competition, practice sparring between the two dojos.

The feeling remained.

Daniel tried to breathe, in and out, a natural rhythm, but his heart beat a little faster. His palms were too sweaty. His mouth was too parched. Fear he had long forgotten trickled down his spine like ice. Eyes were watching him, observing his every move. But he couldn’t find who those eyes belonged to. It wasn’t any of the teenagers, too absorbed in their own fun to even notice him lurking on the edges of the gymnasium, suckered into chaperoning. The other adults moved around, making sure none of the teenagers were having too much fun.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Daniel jumped at the voice, spoken too close to his ear in order to be heard over the music. He jerked his head around to find Johnny with that cocky half smirk. Daniel scowled at him.

“I mean, I guess you could say that one is pretty spooky.” Johnny nodded his head toward something as he sipped fruit punch from one of the little clear plastic cups.

Daniel’s brow furrowed slightly until he followed Johnny’s gaze and saw one of the teenagers had thrown a white sheet over themselves as a costume. He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, terrifying.” He sighed, tugging up his sleeve to check the time on his watch. The Halloween party was almost over, and then he would finally be able to go home and crash for the rest of the night, vowing to never get roped into chaperoning another dance.

“Past your bedtime already, princess?”

Daniel glowered. “What do you want, Johnny?” They had avoided each other for most of the night.

“That one teacher sure wants to see you in your gi.” Johnny snorted, turning to leave the plastic cup on the table behind them. “She was telling me we should have dressed up.”

Daniel rolled his eyes, remembering how counselor Blatt kept coming onto him at last year’s Halloween dance. “Definitely saying no next time.”

Johnny huffed a laugh, probably thinking the same thing. “So we should pick you up at six tomorrow?”

Daniel blinked several times, his mind feeling sluggish. Why was Johnny- “Oh! Right. Yeah.” He bobbed his head. “Six should be good.” He almost forgot about their plans for the following day. The half smirk was back on Johnny’s face, and Daniel wanted to punch it off.

“Maybe you should duck out early so you can get an early start on that beauty sleep for tomorrow.”

Daniel curled a hand into a fist, sorely tempted to punch him, but at that same moment, he caught Robby looking in their direction. His hand relaxed at his side as he bobbed his head with a smile to Robby. They were doing their best to keep on civil terms for Robby’s sake. For all the kids’ sakes, really. But it was easy to fall back into old habits of trying to get under each other’s skins, even with the truce in place.

“You need the beauty sleep far more than I do.” Daniel turned and walked away, making a sweep around the gymnasium to keep up the appearances of being a responsible chaperone.

The feeling returned the moment he stepped away from Johnny’s side.

Daniel thought about the whole evening again now in the light of morning as he stood in his bathroom. He swallowed past the tightness in his throat as he stared at his neck. The ugly splash of blood barely hid the two puncture marks on the left side of his neck. He reached up a shaky hand, fingers brushing over the still tenders marks. His breath hitched at the sight of the ugly bruises marring his forearm.

He was alone, but he could still feel those eyes on him, burning into his core and sending waves of fear coursing through him. He hadn’t felt this scared in over thirty years. He could still remember that morning, after the tournament, waking up alone in Mr. Miyagi’s Little Trees with blood drying on his neck and a promise that this wasn’t the end.

Daniel shook his head, bile rising up his throat. This - This couldn’t be happening. He had tricked himself into believing that was all a nightmare. It hadn’t really happened. Except the faint marks had always remained on his neck. They faded enough that no one ever seemed to notice them; no one asked about them. But Daniel saw them every day, and every day he told himself he was just imagining them.

A knock jolted him out of past memories.

“Fuck.” The word dropped from his lips without permission. He had forgotten about their plans for the day. “Shit!” He grabbed a towel, soaked it in the sink, then hurriedly cleaned away the blood, careful to avoid reopening the puncture marks. Once the blood was gone, Daniel scrambled down the hall, bare feet thundering over the wooden floor. He rifled through his clothes until he found a turtleneck that would hide the marks. After he threw on his clothes, Daniel hurried to the front door, tearing it open to find Johnny standing there with his arms crossed.

Johnny turned, and his eyebrow inched upward. “Thought you were an early riser, LaRusso.”

Daniel took a breath, calming his racing heart. He stepped outside and pulled the door closed behind him. “Where are the kids?”

“They were getting hungry, so I told them to go pick up breakfast.” Johnny led the way over to his car. “We’ll meet them there.”

Daniel climbed into the Challenger with Johnny. After he buckled up and leaned back in his seat, he felt himself relaxing. The panic from that morning ebbing into a dull thrum in his veins. Johnny didn’t say anything. Maybe he was worrying about nothing. It was nothing. He could sweep it under the rug and forget about it. Just like last time. His stomach knotted. He thought he was going to be sick.

“Why did we agree to this?” Daniel pressed his forehead against the window, closing his eyes.

“Didn’t get that beauty sleep after all?” Johnny teased with a chuckle in his voice.

“You’re still stuck on that?” Daniel shook his head. “You’re like a broken record. Careful, Johnny. Someone might think you think I’m cute.”

“You wish.” Johnny snorted.

Daniel smiled sleepily. Thoughts of eyes watching him and blood on his neck disappeared in the comfortable silence between them with REO Speedwagon playing on the radio.

He was jostled awake when the car came to a stop. He jerked upright, blinking as he looked around. Johnny snickered beside him, and Daniel snapped a glare at him.

“Come on.” Johnny opened the door. “The kids are waiting.”

Daniel sighed as he followed. The kids were already standing around Sam’s car, munching on breakfast they picked up on their way up to the woods. Daniel was happy to see them, but it came as no surprise that Anthony didn’t come. He frowned, lowering his gaze. After the divorce, his relationship with his son basically became nonexistent. Anthony didn’t even want to talk to him, blaming the whole thing on him, and Daniel couldn’t say he was wrong. He at least still had Sam. Their relationship was a little shaky at first, but things were getting better with time.

Sam, Robby, and Miguel looked up as the two men approached. Daniel flicked his eyes from Robby to Johnny. This was all the kids’ idea. They came to them asking for a trip to the woods, just them, for training. Daniel still thought the whole thing was a little odd. But he had hoped that this would be a good bonding experience for Johnny and Robby. Johnny was trying so hard to be a good father, and Robby was starting to warm up to him.

They walked into the woods, finding a good spot to settle for the training. Daniel thought it would be awkward. He and Johnny had different styles and philosophies when it came to karate. But the kids were eager to learn. Miguel was happy to take some pointers from him, and Sam and Robby took notes from Johnny. It was strange how well they could work together. Daniel glanced at Johnny a few times during the training, wondering how things could have been if they just stopped with the whole rivalry years ago. Could they have joined forces and created a dojo together? He shook the thought from his head.

He watched Johnny with Robby and saw how patient he was with trying to teach him. It was like seeing an entirely different side of him. A part of him always feared Johnny would teach exactly like Kreese. He could be harsh with his students, but Johnny was nothing like Kreese. Daniel smiled softly when he remembered coming to that realization for the first time.

Rolling up his sleeves, Daniel focused his attention back on Miguel. “Okay. Let’s-”

“Holy shit!”

Daniel jumped at the shout, and everyone’s attention snapped toward them.

“What happened to your arms?”

Daniel dropped his gaze. The bruises remained ugly deep purple and blue splotches on his tanned skin. He swallowed. Shit. He hurried to tug the sleeves back down, but a hand stopped him. It was firm but almost gentle. Daniel jerked his head up, meeting bright blue eyes shimmering with concern.

“Dad, what happened?” Sam’s worry drew his attention away from Johnny.

“Mr. LaRusso?” Robby’s brow furrowed, his mouth pulling downward.

Daniel’s breath felt short. Crap. No, no, no. He wasn’t supposed to let them see. He didn’t want them getting worried. It was nothing. It had to be nothing. He was too scared to think of the truth.

“LaRusso.”

Daniel snapped his eyes back to Johnny, and his breath stopped completely. There was something in Johnny’s eyes he couldn’t identify. “It’s not-”

“Don’t say it’s nothing,” Johnny cut him off like he could read Daniel’s thought.

“Yeah, these definitely don’t look like nothing,” Miguel said, moving in closer to examine Daniel’s arms. “I think they’re hands.”

“What?” Sam shouted, a fearful look in her eyes.

“Yeah, look.” Miguel fitted his hand over the bruises on one forearm. They didn’t quite match up, but it was enough to prove his point.

Johnny held his gaze, and Daniel couldn’t find the will to break their stare. He still couldn’t breathe. His lungs ached, and his head felt light. He didn’t want them to know. If they knew, that made it real, and he didn’t want it to be real.

“What else?” Robby asked, and Johnny finally pulled his gaze away.

Daniel sucked in a shuddering breath and almost dropped right there. Everyone crowded around him with noises of panic and concern as they helped ease him to sit on the ground before he hurt himself. Shit. Why was this happening? Why was breathing so hard?

“Is he having a panic attack?” Sam asked, her voice nearing hysterical with her worry for him. Daniel screwed his eyes shut, hot tears pricking at the edges. He didn’t want Sam seeing him like this. She shouldn’t have to worry about him.

“How about you three start heading back to the cars?” Johnny suggested.

“But-” Sam protested.

“Crowding around him isn’t going to help him,” Johnny explained, trying to sound calm, but it was clear he was as worried as the kids. “He needs a bit of space. Just give us a moment.”

Daniel wasn’t sure how he managed it, but the three teenagers shuffled off, feet crunching fallen leaves as they went. Rustling beside him, but Daniel didn’t lift his head as Johnny sat down. Then a hand landed on him, fingers loosely holding where neck slanted into shoulder and his thumb rubbed soothingly over his neck.

“Wasn’t it your sensei who always told you to breathe?” Johnny asked, his voice quiet.

“That-” Daniel could manage short gasps, but he wasn’t drawing enough air into his lungs. He felt like passing out. “That’s… a little… difficult.”

“Come on.” Johnny pulled him to sit up a little straighter. “In.” He sucked in a deep breath, and Daniel tried to copy him. “And out.” The exhale rushed out of him. He kept repeating it, and Daniel found himself slowly returning to normal.

“Are you taking notes from Miyagi-do?” Daniel managed a half smile.

“You wish.” Johnny rolled his eyes, but he left his hand where it was. Daniel didn’t shrug it off. “I just know that shit works on you.” They sat in silence for a few minutes, just breathing. “You want to explain what’s up with the bruises?”

Daniel glanced at him. His tongue darted out, licking over dry lips. “I got home last night. I got out of the car.” He watched Johnny nodded along. “That’s it.”

Johnny snapped his head around, confusion furrowing his brow. “What do you mean that’s it?”

“I got out of my car, and I don’t remember how I got into my bed.” Fear crept into his voice. “When I woke up, my arms were covered with the bruises.”

Johnny stared. “Shit.” He shook his head. “What the hell does that mean, LaRusso?”

“I wish I knew.” But Daniel had a sick feeling churning in his stomach. He remembered eyes gleaming with some kind of desire that terrified him. A hand holding his wrist tightly as blood dripped from his knuckles.

“What else?”

Daniel lifted his gaze, searching Johnny’s face, but he didn’t know what that question was asking.

“Robby asked that.” Johnny frowned. “I don’t know why, but he must have some reason. He can be a pretty perceptive kid. Are you hiding anything?”

Daniel’s throat tightened, but he kept his breathing even, trying to keep the panic back. His eyes lowered. He didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want Johnny, or the kids, to see. But they already saw the bruises. It was too late to hide. He lifted a shaky hand and pulled down the turtleneck so all of his neck was visible.

“Shit!” Johnny’s hand finally moved, but now his fingers were ghosting over the puncture marks, careful not to cause Daniel any pain. “What the hell attacked you?”

Daniel slowly lifted his eyes, tears on the verge of falling down his cheeks. He felt stupid and small and pathetic. “I don’t know.”

Johnny’s jaw set tight, a fist clenching like he was struggling to hold back the rage building inside him so he wouldn’t last out. “We’re calling the police.”

Daniel scoffed. “And tell them what? That was attacked by a - a -” His throat seized up, unwilling to say it.

“A what?” Johnny demanded. “A vampire?”

“That’s what you think, isn’t it?” Daniel shouted, his own anger boiling. “That’s what it looks like, right? What else would leave marks like this?” He gestured wildly at his neck. “But that’s crazy. Vampires aren’t real, Johnny.”

“Real or not, something took a bite out of your neck!” Johnny glared, but behind the anger was concern and fear. “What were you planning on doing? Just ignore it and hope it doesn’t happen again?”

“That was the plan the first time,” Daniel muttered, raking a hand through his hair as he looked away.

Johnny grabbed his arm, yanking Daniel back to face him. “The first time?”

“Stop,” Daniel begged, his voice barely a whisper. He lived with this secret for thirty years. He didn’t want to remember it. He never even had the courage to tell Mr. Miyagi about the incident. He never wanted anyone to know. He could already see Johnny looking at him differently, and he hated it.

“Please, LaRusso.” Johnny ran his thumb over the inside of Daniel’s wrist. “We can’t help you if you won’t tell us anything.” Even though his mouth said we, Johnny’s eyes kept saying I.

Daniel sucked in a shaky breath. What was even happening right now? “I just won the All Valley tournament for the second time.” He expected to hear Johnny make a snide comment about him bragging, but Johnny stayed quiet. “We went out and celebrated, but I couldn’t help feeling guilty. I made such a mess of everything. I was stupid and impulsive, and I almost threw away the best thing in my life. So I went to Mr. Miyagi’s Little Trees. I wanted-” He shook his head, lowering his gaze. “I guess I wanted to start making things right. I wanted to get started on fixing up the shop so we could open it. I don’t remember what happened. I just remember waking up a bloody mess in the morning.”

“Fucking hell, LaRusso!” It was muttered, but the fury was clear in Johnny’s voice. “And you didn’t tell anyone? Not even your sensei?”

“I was scared out of my mind! And I kept trying to convince myself it didn’t happen.”

“What? Why? Are you crazy?”

“Because thinking I got attacked by a vampire sounds fucking crazy to me, Johnny!”

“What’s crazy is you trying to pretend like you weren’t attacked!”

Daniel was shaking, hot tears threatening to spill. “It shouldn’t have happened! I’m supposed to be stronger than that.”

Johnny pulled him closer, folding him against his chest. “Idiot,” he murmured into Daniel’s hair. “You can’t even remember what happened. Obviously, whoever, or whatever, attacked you did something to you so you couldn’t fight back. You’re too much of a fighter to just let someone do something like this to you.”

Daniel held on tight to the front of Johnny’s shirt. He hated this feeling of being weak and pathetic. He closed his eyes, holding back the tears. He was scared. Scared of eyes always watching him. Scared of the delight shining in them when he bled.

“I’m going to stay at your place tonight.”

Daniel jerked back, pulling away from Johnny. “What?”

“Look. I see two options here. I stay at your place, or you stay at mine. Until we figure out what the hell is going on, I’m not letting you stay anywhere by yourself.”

“I don’t-”

“You can pick one or the other. I just figured you’d be more comfortable at Miyagi-do.” Johnny sighed as he got to his feet. “And we’ve probably worried the kids long enough. They’re going to ask you about this. You’re probably going to have to explain it sooner or later. You had them really worried just now.”

Daniel frowned but accepted the hand offered to him. Johnny pulled him to his feet, and they stood, practically chest to chest. Daniel locked eyes with him. His mind swam with thoughts. Why did Johnny keep looking at him with so much care in his eyes? Why did he feel so much calmer around Johnny? Why did Johnny make him forget the feeling of someone watching him? Why did he feel so safe in Johnny’s arms?

“Come on, Sleeping Beauty.” Johnny held onto Daniel’s wrist, pulling him along through the woods and back to the cars.

The kids were still there, all of them showing signs of their worry. Pacing, chewing at a thumbnail, tugging at a braid. As soon as the two of them came into view, the three teens rushed at them, eager to start questioning them. Johnny held up his hands to silence them.

“LaRusso’s a delicate flower,” Johnny said with a smirk. “Let’s not spook him. He might break.”

Daniel shoved him in the back with a quiet mutter of, “Asshole.”

“What happened, Dad?” Sam frowned, her brow drawing together in a crease of worry. “How did you end up with those bruises?”

Daniel sighed. “We don’t really have any answers about that yet.” He could see Johnny out of the corner of his eye, mouth opening like he was about to put in some dumb comment like, “LaRusso thinks it’s vampires.” He shoved his elbow hard into Johnny’s ribs to shut him up before he could get a word out. “And I know you’re worried. But Johnny’s going to stay at my place tonight.”

“He is?” Robby shot a look at his father.

“Yes,” Daniel answered, eying Johnny. He was making some progress with Robby, but there was still a layer of mistrust they hadn’t fully broken through yet. “If something happens again tonight, he’ll be there to witness it. Hopefully, we’ll get to the bottom of this and have some answers for all of you in the morning.”

“You should stay with Miguel tonight,” Johnny told Robby.

“What?”

Johnny held up a hand. “I know you’re old enough to take care of yourself and all that. But I don’t want you sitting around an empty apartment all night. And you’ll probably get a good home cooked meal there.”

If he looked hard enough, Daniel thought he saw guilt dancing in those blue eyes. He had seen Johnny’s apartment, and the contents of his refrigerator. It had gotten better since Robby moved in, but a chef Johnny was not.

Robby nodded.

“I wish we had more we could tell you.” Daniel rubbed absently at his arm. “But we just don’t have very much information about what happened.”

“Just,” Sam’s smile was tight, “let us know as soon as you figure it out.”

Daniel slipped on a reassuring smile. “We will.”

Sam cast a glance to Johnny, biting the corner of her lip. “I guess we should be heading back now.”

They shared their goodbyes, but a hesitancy hung in the air. All of them wanted answers, but they wouldn’t learn anything until another attack happened. Daniel watched the kids drive off before climbing into Johnny’s car. They made a quick stop by Johnny’s apartment so he could grab an overnight bag, and Daniel hoped it would only be for one night.

“I’ll start on dinner,” Daniel said as they entered the house. He headed straight for the kitchen, immediately pulling things out of the refrigerator. The silence nagged at him. He kept tossing glances toward the door, expecting Johnny to miraculously appear there, but he didn’t. Johnny probably settled himself down in front of the television. Daniel snorted to himself and focused on cooking.

He always liked cooking. He had tons of memories cooking with his mom, with Mr. Miyagi. Next to karate, it was probably one of the few things that helped calm his mind. Under other circumstances, his head would probably be exploding with thoughts about Johnny freaking Lawrence sleeping over at his place. Instead, his mind kept straying back to the attack. Would it happen again tonight? Would he remember anything this time? His hand stilled, and he stared into the pan frying the vegetables. What if his attacker hurt Johnny? Johnny was strong, without question, a great fighter. But Daniel was all of those things too, and he still wasn’t able to fight off whatever attacked him.

“It doesn’t look like anyone broke in,” Johnny announced.

Daniel jolted, scraping the wooden spoon across the pan and sending vegetables over the edge and onto the stovetop.

Johnny lifted an eyebrow at him.

“Sorry,” Daniel mumbled, forcing his focus back on dinner. “What did you say?”

“I took a look around the place.” Johnny moved closer, pressing his hip against the counter. “I didn’t see anything broken, so I don’t think the attacker broke in.”

“So I let them in?” Daniel rolled his eyes, but fear tickled up his spine. He got out of his car, and that was his last memory until he woke up in his bed. He must have let them in, and that thought terrified him. Johnny’s hand found its way to his shoulder, and Daniel let go of his breath. “I must look stupid,” he mumbled with a shaky laugh.

“The unknown can be scary.”

Daniel turned his head and found an oddly sympathetic look in Johnny’s eyes. He felt calmer with Johnny standing next to him. Maybe it was just having another person around. He didn’t want to think too hard about it being something else.

They sat down to eat, and Johnny easily filled the silence with stories about the kids at his dojo. A year ago, the stories might have angered Daniel, and they would have launched into another ridiculous fight over something stupid. He got in a few good jabs, but he was glad they didn’t fight like that anymore. They still sparred off with each other and butted heads. They always would. But they found some way to coexist, and it was nice.

Daniel cleaned up after dinner, and he heard the shower running. He smiled, humming softly, as he washed the dishes. It felt strangely domestic with Johnny around, like Johnny somehow fit into the quiet places of the house, filling the loneliness with life.

Daniel shook his head. Where were those thoughts coming from?

But he knew it would be a lie if he said he had never thought about Johnny. He squashed those thoughts as soon as they popped up, not wanting to entertain something impossible.

When he heard the shower turn off, Daniel quickly finished up the dishes. Then he headed for the bathroom to take his own shower. The warm water felt good when it hit him. He sighed, standing under the spray like it could wash away all his thoughts. He reached up a hand, running his fingers over his neck. The puncture marks still stood out.

After finishing his shower, Daniel wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped out of the bathroom. He felt better after the shower, more relaxed. He walked into his bedroom and froze. Johnny lay on his bed in nothing but loose sweatpants.

“What are you doing?”

Johnny looked up, a crooked smirk tugging at his mouth. “Gotta protect the princess, right?”

“You’re not sleeping in my bed.” Daniel scowled despite the heat licking at his sides. Never in his dreams would he imagine Johnny Lawrence shirtless in his bed.

“You are not making me sleep on the floor.”

Daniel lowered his head, pinching his nose. “You’re not sleeping in this room. You’re sleeping in the guest room.” He turned and walked down the hall. A moment later, he heard Johnny’s footsteps following after him.

“Wouldn’t it make more sense for me to sleep near you?”

Daniel opened the door to the guest room. “We want to catch whoever, or whatever, attacked me, right?” He turned to Johnny, folding his arms. “Why would it attack me with you in the room?”

Johnny stood in front of him, crowding a little too close. Daniel swallowed, suddenly too aware of the fact that he was wearing only a towel. Johnny’s eyes flicked to his neck, and Daniel wasn’t sure if he was staring at the marks or watching a trickle of water sliding down his neck.

“Hm.” Johnny hummed, and Daniel’s tongue swiped over his lips. Did Johnny’s eyes just follow that movement? “Fair point.” Then Johnny passed him and entered the guest room.

Daniel blinked several times, the image of Johnny’s smile still swimming before his eyes. What the hell? He did not need these thoughts in his head! He headed back to his room, long strides carrying him swiftly. He closed the door behind him. Nope. He was putting Johnny out of his thoughts. This whole situation already had him on edge without Johnny confusing him. After pulling on some knit pajama pants, he turned off the lights and climbed into bed.

His pillow smelled, and Daniel recognized the smell of the shampoo Johnny used immediately. Fucking Johnny Lawrence! He had to be doing this on purpose.

Daniel rolled over, trying to get away from that very Johnny smell. With a huff, he closed his eyes, hoping sleep would find him quickly.

It was sometime late in the night when the sensation crept over him. His eyes snapped open as a knot twisted inside him. In an instant, he was out of bed, flipping on the lights. His heart stopped as his eyes landed on the very last person he wanted to see. He hadn’t aged a day since the last time he saw him. He still had that gross slicked back hair, and his mouth stretched into the creepiest grin that left his skin crawling. He took a step forward, and Daniel jerked back, hitting the wall.

“Hm. You’re awake this time.”

At the sound of his voice, Daniel wanted to throw up. He pictured himself back in the Cobra Kai dojo with Terry Silver shouting at him to punch his fist into a two by four until his knuckles bled.

“What are you doing here?” Daniel pushed down his fear, but it kept crawling back up. He clenched his fists to hide the tremble.

The grin stretched wider if possible as Terry stalked toward him. “At first, I was just getting revenge for John.” He snatched Daniel’s wrist before he could react, lifting it up to his face. His eyes roamed over Daniel’s knuckles as if he could still see the blood staining his flesh. And there was the gleam in his eyes, that lustful desire Daniel tried to block from his memory. “But your blood.” Terry licked his lips. “I knew I had to have it.”

Daniel breathed in and out, barely keeping back the panic. “And you waited thirty years to come back?”

Terry eyed him with… something that made Daniel’s stomach churn. “You finally let your guard down enough to let me in again. You barely even fought me last night. So very willing.” His smile pulled back his lips to show off sharp fangs.

Dread froze the blood in his veins. This couldn’t be real. Vampires weren’t real. But here Terry stood, the same as thirty years ago, ready to stink his fangs into Daniel’s neck. Terry was leaning in. Daniel’s heart hammered in his chest. He was conscious of everything happening this time, but he still couldn’t do anything to stop it.

_You’re too much of a fighter to just let someone do something like this to you_.

Johnny’s words echoed in his head. Something sparked inside him. His fists clenched tightly, and his jaw set. Like hell he would let Terry Silver take another drop of his blood! Daniel slammed his head forward, smashing forehead into nose. Terry stumbled back, dropping his hold on Daniel’s wrist. Blood, dark almost black, dripped from his nose. Daniel followed the headbutt with a strike, but Terry recovered in time to block it.

“I see you still remember your lessons.” Terry grinned.

Rage burned in him. Daniel twisted, swinging his leg up in a kick. Terry trapped the leg between his arm and body. Then he struck Daniel hard in the chest, forcing a wheeze out of him. The backhand came faster than he could respond. Daniel hit the ground, tasting blood in his mouth. Then a weight settled on top of him. A hand grabbed his hair, yanking his head up.

“I enjoy the fight, but you can’t beat me.” Terry’s breath washed over his ear. “I’ve already taken blood from you. You can’t compete with my strength.”

“Hey, asshole!”

After a smack of flesh striking flesh, the weight was off him. Daniel winced as some hair was ripped from his head. He rolled over in time to see Terry going in for a strike on Johnny. Daniel kicked out, catching Terry in the knee. With him off balanced, Johnny kicked him in the chest, sending Terry flying into the wall. Daniel scrambled to his feet.

“Are you okay?” Johnny asked, a hand immediately finding Daniel’s arm.

Daniel nodded shakily. “Let’s just take out this asshole.”

Terry stood, swiping at his face with the back of his hand. The blood smeared across his mouth. He laughed. “You really think you can beat me?” His eyes flashed dangerously.

Fear thrummed through his veins, but Daniel hardened his gaze, falling easily into a fighting stance. “Maybe not by myself.” His gaze flicked to his side, catching Johnny’s eyes. “But the two of us?” He smirked. “You can’t beat us.”

Johnny grinned as he put up his fists. “Hope you’re ready for an ass beating.”

Terry growled then launched at them, fists and feet flying. It was so natural to fight alongside Johnny, even without ever practicing on the balance wheel. They knew each other’s movements too well. Their strikes and blocks were in perfect sync. Then Terry swept his leg. Daniel dropped, his head slamming hard on the floor. Johnny roared. He tackled Terry to the floor then punched him in the face.

Daniel groaned, holding his head as he sat up. Everything swam, and he had to close his eyes, listening to the sounds of the fight still taking place. When he opened his eyes, and the world was no longer floating in a swirl of colors, Daniel lifted his head and froze. They were on their knees, Terry with his arm around Johnny’s throat. His face turned red.

“Still think you can beat me?” Terry sneered, his arm tightening.

It was just like the parking lot after the tournament. But it was Terry instead of Kreese. And Daniel didn’t have a busted knee preventing him from acting. Daniel pushed himself to move. His elbow caught Terry in the face. Johnny pitched forward, hands slapping against the floor as he gasped in air, coughing.

A foot connected with his ribs, knocking Daniel back to the floor. He came back with a punch, but Terry caught his wrist. They struggled, and Daniel tried to throw the man off him. Terry pinned him to the floor. His hands squeezed around Daniel’s wrists, bone grinding against bone.

“I’m getting what I came for.” The fangs sank into his flesh, and Daniel screamed.

“Fucking,” Johnny shouted, “vampire!” A crack of something snapping, the gross sound of something plunging through flesh and muscle, then everything fell silent.

Daniel’s eyes fluttered. Dust particles danced in the air. What happened? He could move, there was no weight holding him down, but his body felt too heavy. Then Johnny’s face was hovering in front of him. His hands held Daniel’s face, and panic filled his blue eyes.

“Daniel! Oh god, Daniel!”

“Isn’t this where Pike would kiss Buffy?” A dopey grin spread onto Daniel’s face.

Johnny blinked at him. Then he dropped his head, forehead pressing against Daniel’s chest. “Don’t scare me like that.”

Despite how heavy his body felt, Daniel managed to lift his hand, placing it on top of Johnny’s head, fingers threading through blond locks. “Sorry,” he murmured.

After a few minutes just laying like that, Johnny sighed. “Okay. We need to get you cleaned up and checked out.” He hoisted Daniel into his arms, carrying him like a bride through the threshold of his bedroom.

Daniel faded in and out while Johnny checked over his injuries. He tried to keep his eyes open, but soon had to call it a lost cause. His eyes closed as he crashed forward into Johnny’s chest. A steady heartbeat soothed him to sleep.

It was still there as his mind stirred from its deep slumber. He shifted, pressing into the warmth. Maybe just a few more minutes of sleep. His fingers splayed over the hard muscles of someone else’s chest. His eyes opened, and he stared at the expanse of the neck he was currently nuzzling into. His eyes trailed over the neck, lifting upward until he met with blue eyes watching him.

Fuck.

“What are you doing in my bed?” Bits of the night flashed in Daniel’s mind. Terry Silver, the fight, Johnny’s face filled with concern, getting cleaned up. But he couldn’t recall what led to him sharing a bed with Johnny, curled against him with his arm thrown over Johnny’s chest and Johnny’s arm reaching around his waist to keep him close.

Johnny smirked crookedly, and Daniel swallowed. “I was going to leave, but then you were so insistent that I stay.”

Daniel snorted. “And when did that happen?”

Johnny hummed, amusement shimmering in his eyes. “Oh, right after you asked me to kiss you.”

“What?” Daniel squawked as he pushed away but couldn’t move far with Johnny’s arm still around him. “I did not!”

“Pretty sure there was dumb reference to that vampire slayer chick.”

“Couldn’t have been that dumb if you actually got a reference to something that came after the eighties.” Daniel huffed, but the result was Johnny laughing, low and warm. Daniel swallowed, again, unable to look away from the smile on Johnny’s face.

“Speaking of that,” Johnny turned to him with that stupid half smirk that always seemed to get under Daniel’s skin, “since I was your big bad Buffy, don’t I get a kiss now?”

“No,” Daniel grumbled, trying to bury his face in the pillow as the heat crept across his cheeks to the tips of his ears.

Johnny mock gasped. “I slayed a vampire for you!”

Daniel’s jaw set as he stared at Johnny’s neck again. It was hard not to when it was right there and he couldn’t move very much. His thoughts rolled around in his head, and eventually he drew his lip between his teeth, biting it as he finally came to a conclusion.

“Thank you.”

“What?” Johnny cupped a hand over his ear. “Could you repeat that?”

Daniel pressed his mouth thin. This would be a lot easier if he didn’t feel like Johnny was just making jokes at his expense. “I said thank you,” he repeated a little louder, and maybe with a little too much frustration seeping into his voice. “You stopped,” his throat tightened, not wanting to say that name ever again, “him when he was going to kill me.” His eyes flicked around, and he licked his lips with a nervous thrum running through him. “But also because if you hadn’t talked to me, before, in the woods, I might have just stood there and let him bite me without thinking of fighting back.” He lifted his gaze, but there was no joker in those clear blue eyes. His heart skipped.

Daniel pushed himself up, his face hovering before Johnny. They held each other’s eyes, each one seeming to search for some answer. Then Daniel dipped his head, lightly brushing his lips over Johnny’s. All he heard was the rush of blood in his ears. Was he a complete idiot? He waited, muscles tensing, for Johnny to shove him away, kick him out of bed to get away from him. Instead, a hand skimmed up his back, fingers ghosting over his bare skin. Daniel shivered as the hand came to rest at the back of his neck. Johnny leaned up, pressing the mouths firmly together, and Daniel practically melted into him. Fingers tangled in his hair. Daniel pulled Johnny’s lower lip in, sucking and nipping at it as heat tickled down his sides, pooling deep inside him.

“Dad?”

Daniel jolted away.

“Mr. LaRusso?”

“Mr. L?”

“Why are they here so early?” Daniel whispered, panic surging through him.

“Probably because they spent the whole night worrying themselves to death about you.” Johnny sat up, leaning in close to Daniel’s ear. “We can continue this later.”

Daniel bit his lip with a flush of heat. When Johnny climbed out of bed, Daniel let his gaze trail over his backside, watching muscle ripple under flesh. Later couldn’t come soon enough, in his opinion. But at the sound of the kids’ footsteps in the hall, Daniel scrambled out of bed, yanking on whatever shirt he found first. His room was a mess after the fight, but he would worry about that later.

“Hey, kids!” Daniel greeted, almost too chipper, when he opened the door to find them there, about to knock. He kept Johnny pushed to the side and out of sight. “Who wants breakfast?”

“Are you feeling okay, Dad?” Sam gave him a worried glance as he ushered them down the hall toward the kitchen.

“What? Oh. Yeah. Good. Great.” Daniel bobbed his head, knowing he was acting overly suspiciously, but he was too flustered by the whole morning’s events. He could still feel Johnny’s lips over his, and he bit his lip giddily as he pulled out the carton of eggs.

“Why is Mr. L acting so funny?” Miguel whispered.

“You have to ask?” Robby asked in an amused tone.

“Dad,” Sam said, placing a hand on his arm. When he lifted his gaze to her, she smiled nervously. “Did, um,” her gaze flicked to the bandage on his neck, “anything happen?”

Daniel lowered his gaze to the egg he held ready to crack into a bowl. He nodded then lifted his head, forcing a smile. “But it’s okay. Everything’s okay now.” He could finally relax knowing Terry Silver could never hurt him again.

“Are you going to explain it?” Sam raised her eyebrows, a hopeful look.

Daniel cracked the egg, one handed, and tossed the shell into the trash. He didn’t like the idea of giving them all the details, but he knew it was far too late to hide things from them. He bobbed his head, not sure he was ready to recount the whole ordeal.

“Might be easier to just show them.” Johnny strolled into the kitchen, and the asshole didn’t even bother to put on a shirt. Daniel glared at him as he whisked the eggs in the bowl.

“What do you mean?” Robby’s gaze darted between the two adults, and Daniel feared that light of realization in his eyes.

Johnny produced a camcorder from behind his back.

Daniel’s eyes widened, the bowl almost falling from his hand. “Wait. Was that in my room the whole time?”

“Thought we could use the proof.” Johnny shrugged, but there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

Daniel thought back to just moments ago, in his bed, with Johnny’s hand tangled in his hair and their lips glued together. His stomach did a weird flip, and his face flushed darkly. Did that make it onto the recording too? The kids grabbed the camcorder before Daniel could form any kind of protest. Sighing, he set the bowl down on the counter and joined the others crowding around to watch what was recorded on the camcorder.

“Who is that?” Miguel asked when the lights flipped on in the recording.

Daniel tensed, his throat tight. Maybe he couldn’t watch this after all. Then he felt a hand at the small of his back. He glanced at Johnny. Right. He was safe now. Johnny had kept him safe. He licked dry lips as he focused back on the camcorder.

“That’s Terry Silver,” he explained, his voice only slightly strained. “He - He trained me once. He wasn’t a very good person though.”

Johnny snorted. “Person?”

Daniel rolled his eyes.

“Whoa,” Robby said as Johnny busted onto the scene. After a little bit more played out, he added, “You two fight really well together.”

“Robby and I had to practice a lot on the balance wheel, and we’re still not at this level,” Sam said.

“The what?” Johnny tossed a look his way, and Daniel shook his head with a light smile. He could explain that later.

“Oh shit!” Miguel shouted, and Daniel flinched like he had smacked his head on the floor for a second time. They looked at him with concern.

“It’s fine.” Daniel waved them off. “You all know I’m so thick headed a fall like that wouldn’t crack my skull.”

“Thankfully,” Johnny murmured, eyes locked on him and full of concern.

“I’m fine.” Daniel offered a reassuring smile. He still felt a little soreness at the back of his head, but it wasn’t too bad.

Sam gasped loudly, drawing their attention back just as Terry bit into his neck. Daniel reached up, holding a hand over the bandage. But then Johnny impaled him with a broken slate of wood, and Terry’s figure exploded into a cloud of dust.

“Was that-” Robby asked, voice trailing off.

“Couldn’t be.” Sam shook her head.

“Whoa! Sensei’s a real vampire slayer.” Miguel grinned. “Badass.”

Johnny smirked.

“This is crazy!” Sam frowned. “Vampires aren’t real.”

“This one was.”

“And my dad is not smart enough to know how to fake this,” Robby added.

“Hey!” Johnny protested. “I mean, accurate, but hey!”

The kids snickered, even Daniel smiled. Then Miguel said, “Hey, there’s more!”

The kids returned their attention back to the camcorder. Daniel’s stomach dropped as he watched him and Johnny return to his room after their injuries were cleaned up and bandaged. He reached for the camcorder, too late. They already watched as he pulled Johnny to the bed with him, encouraging him to stay the rest of the night with him. He ripped the camcorder from Miguel’s hand, his heart thundering in his chest. The three kids stared at them with wide eyes.

“That, um, that’s-” Daniel cast a glance to Johnny, hoping for some help, but Johnny just stood there with his infuriating smirk.

“So who wins the bet?” Sam asked.

“B-bet?” Daniel shouted.

“I said you’d hook up by Valentine’s Day,” Miguel said, grinning.

“I was sure they’d get stupid drunk and kiss for New Years,” Robby said.

“I was going to hang mistletoe for Christmas and then make sure they got stuck under it at some point.” Sam huffed.

“What?” Daniel snapped wide eyes at all three of them.

“That’s cheating!” Miguel pointed at her.

Daniel dragged his hands down his face. The kids were betting on his love life? Wait. His head snapped up. “Why were you all so sure we would hook up?”

“Because you were so obvious,” Sam said, rolling her eyes, and Johnny bit his lip to hold back a laugh.

“Yeah,” Miguel said, “why do you think Sensei always wears those tight pants around you?”

“What?” Johnny shifted. “No, I don’t.”

Daniel snorted a laugh.

“Yeah, you do.” Robby chuckled. “Because you know Mr. LaRusso likes checking out your butt when he thinks no one notices.”

“That’s not true!” Daniel’s cheeks burned scarlet, and he could see none of them believed him. “Why are you so interested in us hooking up anyway?”

“Because we want to see you happy.” Sam rolled her eyes.

“And the two of you obviously make each other happy.” Robby rolled a shoulder. “It was a little weird at first. That whole Miyagi-do versus Cobra Kai stuff. But, well, you two just fit together.”

“Yeah, like you’re the Yin to his Yang and all that stuff.” Miguel grinned. “You balance each other.”

Daniel glanced toward Johnny. A soft smile spread onto his face, and Johnny smiled back.

“Ew, Dad!” Sam lightly smacked his arm. “Don’t make love eyes in front of us.” The boys laughed loudly.

Daniel rolled his eyes, managing only a mild blush. “I’m making breakfast.” He walked back over to the stove, setting the camcorder aside on the counter.

A moment later, Johnny was at his side, preparing to fry up some bacon alongside the eggs. Behind them, the kids were absorbed in their discussion about the fight against Terry Silver. Johnny caught him staring, leaned over to plant a kiss on Daniel’s temple, then returned to laying the bacon in the pan with a smile. Daniel relaxed as he poured the scrambled eggs into the pan. The only eyes he felt watching him now were rich blue and made him feel safe.

**Author's Note:**

> I may have watched the movies one too many times and couldn't shake the idea of Terry Silver being a creepy ass vampire.


End file.
